Weighing-machine



(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 1. P. H. RICHARDS.

WBIGHING MACHINE.

No. 560,543. Patented May 19, 1896.

(No Model.) 3 sheets-sheet 2.

F. H. RICHARDS.

WBIGHING MACHINE. No. 560,543. Patented May 19, 1896.

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ANDREW E GRAHAM-PH010-LUHD wAsHI NGTOILO r.

(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 3. P. H. RICHARDS. WBIGHING MACHINE.

No. 560,543. Patented May 19, 1896.

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MW@ v ANDREW B GRMAMJHDTO'LITMO WASNINGIUILD C UNITED .STATES PATENT GFFICE.

FRANCIS Il. RICHARDS, OF HARTFORD, GONNECTICUT WEIGHING-MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 560,543, dated May 19, 1896. Application filed December 6,1895. Serial No. 571,233. (No model.)

T all La7/1,0771, it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANCIS H. RICHARDS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Hartford, in the county of Hartford and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in lVeighing-lllachines, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to weighin g-machines, the object being to provide an improved organization of safety and valve and closer movement limiting devices for positively limiting the opening movement of the valve while the closer is open and is discharging the bucket-load and for limiting the opening movement ot the closer while the valve is in an open position.

In the drawings accompanying and forming part of this specification, Figure 1 is a front elevation of a weighing-machine embodying my present improvements. Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the machine as seen from the left in Fig. l, the valve being illustrated opened and the closer in its closed position. Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2, the valve being illustrated closed and the closer in an open position.

Similar characters designate like parts in all the iigures of the drawings.

My present invention is in the nature of 'an improvement upon the invention disclosed and claimed in Letters Patent No. 535,729, granted to me March 12, 1895, to which Vreference may be had, and is shown embodied in a weighing-machine constructed in accordance with several Letters Patent granted to me, certain of which will be hereinafter specilically referred to by date and number.

The framework for carrying the operative parts of the weighing-machine maybe of any suitable construction and is shown comprising two side frames or uprights 2 and l, mounted upon a chambered supporting-base 3 and connected by a top plate 5, to which a suitable hopper or supply-chute, such as Il, is shown secured.

The base 3 is shown carrying suitable beamsupports, such as the V-shaped bearings 90 and 20, for supporting the beam mechanism which carries the bucket mechanism, consisting of the bucket and its operative devices, the bucket mechanism having ascending and descending movements with the beam mechanism for alternately receiving and discharging the bucket-loads.

As a means for supporting the bucket or load-carrying receptacle, which is designated in a general wayby G, a pair of oppositely-disposed scale-beams B and B', respectively, are shown pivotally mounted on the beam-supports 2O and 20 by means of the pivots or knife-edges 24. and 24', carried by said scalebeams. The scale-beams B and B are illustrated carrying, intermediate of the beamsupports, bucket-supporting knife-edges 15 and l. The bucket is illustrated provided on its ends with hangers 555, which are shown carrying the V-shaped bearings 1G, corresponding in number and position with the knife-edges and 15, which are shown supported by said V-shaped bearings l0.

My improved weighing-machine will have the usual poising and counterpoising mechanisms, all that part of the beam mechanism located outside of the beam-supports constituting the eounterpoising mechanism of the machine and all that. part of the beam mechanism,includin g the bucket mechanism, intermediate of said beam-supports constituting the poising mechanism of the machine. The bucket mechanism embodies two members, one of which is shiftable relatively to the other for discharging the bucket-load,and the closer L is shown constituting the shiftable bucketdischarge member of the machine illustrated. The bucket G is shown having an inclined discharge opening, which is closed by the bucket-closer L. (See Fig. f3.) The closer L is shown consisting.;` of a suitably-formed plate or closer proper, 75, having the counterweighted plates 7 9 at each end thereof and preferably formed integral therewith. The closer L is also illustrated pivoted at 77 to the lower side of the bucket and adjacent to one side of the discharge-opening thereof. r1`l1e weights 7 8' and 7S, carried by the plates 7 f), serve a dual function-that of assisting said plates to return the closer to its closed position, and also as stops for limiting the opening movement of the closer by the abutment thereof aga-inst the bucket G.

As a means for supporting the bucketcloser an inverted or dead-lock toggle is shown in the drawings connecting the closer and the bucket, and this toggle connection is IOO so positioned as to be engaged by a suitable actuator for throwing the pivots thereof out of line. In the form illustrated this toggle comprises an an gle-lever 550,pivoted adjacent to the upper rearward side of the bucket, the pivot being shown as the rock-shaft 550'H and consisting of the usual two members or arms 550 and 550 and having a long connectingrod 596 pivoted to the arm 559 of said anglelever 550 and to the bucket-closer L.

The rock-shaft 550 is shown projected a slight distance beyond the end of the bucket for a purpose to be now described. The connecting-rod 596 is shown provided with a stop or locking face 596, which embraces the extended end of the rock-shaft 550l when the toggle is in its locked position, as indicated in Fig. 2, the three pivots of said toggle connection being then in line. It will be remembered that the toggle connection comprises two members, one vof which is shown as the angle-lever 559, consisting of the arms 550 and 550'/,the former being pivotally connected with the connecting-rod 596, which is also illustrated connected with the closer. The toggle may be broken or flexed by the application of sufficient pressure on the arm 550 of the angle-lever, and when a downward pull is exerted on said arm 550 it will be apparent thatthe three toggle-pivots will be thrown out of line and the vstop 59o disengaged from the rock-shaft 550", at which time, the closer being then free of all restraint, the weight of the mass in the bucket pressing against the latter is effective for opening 'the same to thereby discharge the bucket load. 'The bucket, havin g completely discharged its load and 'the closer being open, the counterweight or counterweighted plates 79 thereof will return the same to the closed position and simultaneouslytherewith project the connecting-rod or toggle member 596 in an upward direction, vandalso oscillate the angle-lever 550 about its pivot, and when the parts have nearly assumed the normal positions thereof, as indicated in Fig. 2, the stop 596 will engage lthe rock-shaft'5-5OW, and simultaneously rtherewith the 'angle-lever will be forced to its normal position, as'indicated in said figure, the three pivots of the toggle being again in line.

As a means for controlling lthe supplystream flowing from the supply chute or hopper II into the bucket G, I prefer to employ a valve substantially similar to the improved valve disclosed and claimed in Letters Patent No. 535,727, granted to me March 12, 1895. Such a valve is shown at '70 as an oscillatory valve and pivoted within arms or brackets 5 depending from the top plate 5 ofthe machine,

Athe pivot or -axis of movement of the valve` being designated by 7 O. The valve employed is also illustrated located substantially beneath the mouth orjdischarge-oriiice of the discharge-chute and'extendin g sufficiently far beyond-the forward edge of said chute to support the descending column or stream of material when the valve is closed. This valve is also preferably balanced, so as to have normally no tendency to either open or close, the balance-weight being shown herein as a shaft 90' extending from opposite ends of the valvepan.

As a means for closing the valve I prefer to employ the valve closing mechanism disclosed and claimed in Letters Patent No. 548,843, granted to me October 29, 1895, and which will now be brieiiy described. A cam is shown at 500, depending from and oscillatory with the valve 70. This cam, in practice, is provided with reducing and cut-off camfaces, which are engaged by a valve-closing actuator, the cut-off cam-face of said cam being of relatively greater Vefficiency than the reducing cam-face. A valve-closing actuator is shown at 504 as an oscillatory counterweighted lever pivoted to the side frame 4 and having an antifriction-roll 50G, adapted to engage during the stream-reducing period of the valve the reducing-face ofthe cam 500, and when the bucket-load is completed the friction-roll 50G, leaving the reducing camface, engages the cut-off cam-face of relatively greater efficiency, thereby quickly closing the valve for cutting off the supply-stream.

As a means for opening the valve I prefer to employ actuating mechanism substantially similar to that disclosed and claimed in Letters Patent No. 548,839, granted to me October 29, 1895. The valve is shown provided with a relatively long connecting-rod 558, pivotally secured to the upper rear portion thereof and having the lower end Vof said rod in position to be engaged by a valve-opening actuator, said connecting-rod 558 being connected with the side frame 2 by means of the link 41, which maintains said connecting-rod 558 in an operative position. The connecting-rod 558 is shown constituting the means for transmit-ting to the valve 70 the valveopening movement or thrust of a valve-actuator. In the form shown this valve-opening actuator consists of alever 551, pivoted at 551 to the scale-beam B and counterweighted at its rear end. This actuator 551, which constitutes a supplemental counterpoise, normally forms a part of the counterpoisin g mechanism and is shiftable therefrom and onto the poising mechanism. This valve-opening actuator 551 will be held in its normal position by means of suitable stops. It will be observed that the pivot 551 of the actuator is shown located between the bucket-supports, so that any downward pressure exerted on the inner end of said lever relatively to the bucket G'will oscillate the same, so that the effective force thereof will be transferred from the IOO IOS

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counter-poising to the poising mechanisms.

employed, one of which is operative with the valve and the other of which is rigidly connected with the closer, each of said stops constituting a stop device for the other.

The valve is shown carrying a stop or stop member 412, which is operative therewith, and which is illustrated provided with a curved stop-face concentric with the axis of movement of the valve, and which face is designated by 412', and as having a second stop-face illustrated as a straight stop-face 412", departing from said curved face 412', to be hereinafter referred to.

The oscillatory bucket-closer L is illustrated provided at one end thereof, herein illustrated as the left end, (see Fig. 1,) with an upwardly-projecting arm 7 2, said arm being preferably formed integral with the closer L. A stop or stop member is shown at 415 and iixedly connected with the closer L, being illustrated secured to said arm 7 2 by suitable holding means, as the screws 72'. The stop member 415, which constitutes a valveintercepter for intercepting the opening movement of the valve on the opening movement of the closer, is shown consisting of an upwardly-extendin g arm, having the cross-piece 'or transverse portion 416 thereof of segmental shape, the latterhaving a longitudinal curved working face 415' concentric with the axis of movement of the bucket-closer L. This segmental plate is also shown having a second stop-face 415",which is illustrated as a straight face departing from the curved face 415'.

It from any cause the closer should be prematurely released at any time during the making up of the bucket-load, the valve-operative stop 412 will positively lock the bucketcloser against opening movement by the nonclosing of the valve, and the closer-operative stop 415 will positively lock the valve against opening movement by the non-closing of the closer.

During the maj or portion of each operation of the machine the stop-faces 412' and 415", which are formed, respectively, on the valve and closer-operative stops 412 and 415, may run in contact, and if from any cause the closer should become released the stop-face 415", acting against the curved stop-face 412', (the stop 412 serving at this point practically as a iixed abutment,) will positively prevent the opening movement of the closer L, and this action will be maintained so long as these stop-faces remain in contact, as shown in Fig. 2; but while these stop-faces are in engagement the valve 70 may close, the curved stopface 412 riding over the straight stop-face 415" of the stop 415 until these have passed out of contact without hindering the closing movement of the valve 7 O. lVhen the curved stop-face 412' has passed beyond the straight stop-face 415", the closer being then free of all restraint, the pressure of the mass in the bucket and resting thereon forces the closer open to thereby discharge the bucket-load.

On the opening movement of the closer the stop 415 will have a movement in unison with the bucket-closer L, and oscillating to the left the curved stop-face 415' thereon will be projected under the valve stop member 412 and into contact with the straight stop-face 412", and on the continued opening movement of the bucket-closer said curved stopface will remain in contact with the straight stop-face 412" of the valve stop member, thereby intercepting and locking the valve against opening movement so long as the closer is in its open or bucket-discharging position, as indicated in Fig. 3. On the discharge of the bucket-load and the closing movement of the closer` the stop 415 will oscillate therewith and to the right, and the curved stop-face 415' of said stop 415 will ride over the straight stop-face 412" until it has passed therebeyond, at which time the stops415' and 412", being out of contact and the closer then closed, the valve may be then opened to again permit the How of the supply-stream into the bucket G.

From the preceding description it will be seen that in connection with a valve and with a bucket-closer reciprocally effective stops are employed, which are operative, respectively, one with the valve and the other iixedly connected with the bucket-closer for limiting the opening movement of the valve by the non-closing ofthe closer and the opening of the closer by the non-closing of the valve, and that one of said stops constitutes a valve-intercepter operative in unison with the closer for intercepting the opening movement of the valve on the opening movement of the closer.

In practice the valve '70 will be held against closing movement at the commencement of the poisin g period, to thereby permit the flow of a reduced or drip stream into the bucket, for the purpose of completing the load therein. The means shown for this purpose consist of a stop-arm, such as 569, carried by and oscillatory with the valve, the lower or free end of this arm being in position to be engaged by a suitable stop, such as 570, carried by the poisingmechanism of the machine. (See Fig. l.) At the close of thc poising period the stop 570 will have a descending movement away from the depending stop-arm 569, due to the descent of the poising mechanism, and will release said stop-arm 569 and also the valve, whereby the latter will be quickly closed for cut-ting oft the drip-stream.

At the close of the poising period it is important to instantly bring about the release ol the bucket-closer L. lt will be remembered that a toggle has been described as operatively connecting the closer with the bucket, and that one of said toggle members is an anglelever 550, pivoted at 550"' to the bucket G, and that one arm 550" of said angle-lever has been described as being in position to be engaged by a suitable actuator or releaser dcvice for throwing the toggle-pivots out of line to thereby release the bucket-closer. As a IOC) IOS

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means .for effecting this result I prefer to employ a valve-operated actuator or releaser device-that is, an actuator or releaser device f operated from and by the power of the closing-valve, and which will be effective at a point immediately succeeding the release of the valve by the stop 570. The connecting-rod 558, whichhas been described as carried by and operative with the vvalve 70, will have a slow descending movement away from the valve on the closure thereof, and an actuator or releaser device, such as 88, (see Fig. 1,) will be positioned at a proper point von .said rod to engage one of lthe toggle members, herein illustrated as the angle-lever 550, for throwing the toggle-pivots out of line, thereby freeing or releasing the bucket-closer L for discharging` the bucket-load. The arm 550 of the angle-lever 550 is shown outwardly curved, and the extreme outer lend thereof will be located in the path of movement of the actuator or releaser device 88, so that at the proper point in the operation of themachine, or when the valve has been released in the manner hereinbefore described, said arm 550 will be engaged, and on the further closing movement of the valve 7 O and vdescent of the rod 55S will be depressed by vsaid actul ator 88, thereby throwing the Vtoggle-pivots out of line for releasing the bucket-closer L.

.The operation of a weighing-machine embodying my present improvements, briefly described, is as follows: With the operative parts of the machine in the positionillustrated in Fig. 2-the normal position thereof-the valve '70 will be open to permit the flow of the supply-stream into the bucket G. lVhen a sufficient portion of the material .has been received by the bucket, this tends to descend,

and on the descent of the bucket the shiftable member 551 will slowly 'fall from under the connecting-rod 558, vthereby permitting the closure of the valve 70 and consequent reduction in volume of the supply-stream. At the commencement of the poising period the stop-arm 569 of the valve 70 will be engaged by the stop 570, thereby holding the valve 7 0 against further closing movement to permit the flow into the bucket of a drip or reduced l stream for the purpose of completing the load therein. On the completion of uthe bucketload the bucket will descend to and below the the connecting-rod 558, carried thereby, will i have a descendin g movement into engagement with the arm 550 of the angle-lever 550, and pressing thereagainst will depress the same to thereby throw thetoggle-pivots out of line,this action releasing the bucket-closer L. If from an y cause the closer should become prematurely released,the stop-face 415 of the closeroperative stop 415 by engaging the curved stop-face 412' of the valve-operative stop 412 will hold the closer against opening movement until these two stop-faces have passed out of contact by the closing of the valve. When these stop-faces have passed out of contact, the closer will of course be perfectly free to open, as shown in Fig. 3. lVhen the bucketload has been diseharged,the closer L,throu gh its counterweighted plate-79, closes the discharge-openin g of the bucket G. On the closing movement of the closer the stop-face 415' will ride along the straight stop-face 412H until these have passed out of contact, at which time the valve 70 may be opened. During this operation the connecting-rod 596 will be projected in an upward direction until the stop 596 thereon `is in locked engagement with the rock-shaft 550'", and at the same time the angle-lever 550 is oscillated about its pivot and returned to the normal position thereof, as indicated in Fig. 2, to be again engaged by the releaser device 8S on the succeeding operation of the machine.

The connecting-rod 558, which is operative with the Vvalve 70, has been described as earrying an actuator S8 for engaging the toggle member 550 for throwing the toggle-pivots out of line to thereby release the bucketcloser L. The connecting-rod also serves as ameans for transmitting to the valve 70 the valve-opening movement or thrust of a valveopening actuator, which has been described as the shiftable member 551. Means are provided for shifting the connecting-rod 55S out of operative relation with the valve-opening actuator 551, this operation also throwing the actuator 88 into an inoperative position, so that if a test is to be madeto ascertain the correctness of a bucket-load the actuator 8S will not engage the toggle member 550; or, the bucket being empty and it being desired to stop the operation of the machine-say at the close of a days work-the connecting-rod 55S maybe shifted out of operative relation with the valve-opening actuator 551, whereby the latter, on the return stroke thereof to its normal-position, will be ineffective as such. The meansillustrated for shifting the connectingrod consists of a suitable shifter or shifting device, as S.

The side frame 2 is illustrated carrying a rock shaft 40, on the inner end of which is shown formed the rock-arm 40', to which is shown pivoted the connecting-link 4l, the opposite end ofthe latter being also illustrated pivotall y connected with the connecting-rod 55S. The outer end of the rock-shaft 40 is shown provided with an actuating lever or handle 42, which is secured to the rock-shaft 40 by means of the clamp 42', and the fingerpiece 43 of the handle 42 is provided with a spring-actuated pin for engaging one of two openings or recesses 44 and 44', formed in the side frame 2, whereby when said pin is seated in either one of these recesses or openings IOO IIO

the shifter S will be held against movement and the connecting-rod 558, and thereby the actuator 88, held in the shifted position. The normal position of the connecting-rod 558 is illustrated by full lines in Fig. 2, the springpin of the thumb-piece 43 being seated in the recess 44. YVhen it is desired to shift the connecting-rod 558, the thumb-piece 43 will be grasped and the spring-actuated pin therein will be withdrawn from the recess 44 in the side frame 2. The actuating lever or handle 42 will then be turned to the right, this action carrying the crank-arm and connectinglink 41 therewith, and also moving the connecting-rod 558 from its normal position to the position indicated by the dotted lines in Fig. 2, at which time the spring-pin 43 will be seated in the recess 44', and the connecting-rod thereby held against movement. It will be observed that in this position the actuator 88 is in an inoperative position and that the connecting-rod itself is out of operative relation with the shiftable member 551.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim isl. In aweighing-machine, the combination with a valve, and with a bucket having a closer; of two coacting stops, one operative with the valve and the other rigidly connected with the closer, each constituting a stop device for the other.

2. In a weighing-machine, the combination with a valve, and with a bucket having a closer; of reciprocally effective stops, one operative with the valve and the other rigidly connected with the closer for limiting the opening movement of the closer by the nonclosing of the valve, and the opening movement of the valve by the non-closing of the closer.

3. In a weighing-machine, the combination with a valve, and with a bucket having a closer; of a valve-intercepter rigidly connected with the closer, and having a movement for intercepting the opening movement of the valve on the opening of the closer.

4. In a weighing-machine, the combination with a valve, and with a bucket having a closer, said closer having an arm thereon; of a valve-intercepter laterally projecting from and rigidly connected with said arm.

5. In aweighing-machine, the combination with a valve, and with a bucket having a closer, said closer having an arm thereon; of a valve-intercepter laterally projecting from and rigidly connected with said closer-arm for interceptin g the opening movement of the valve on the openingmovement of the closer.

6. Inaweighing-machine, the combination with a bucket having a closer, of a valve and a valve-intercepter consisting of an upwardlyextending arm rigidly connected with the closer, and having at its outer end a transverse portion, the latter constituting a stop and in position for intercepting the valve on the opening of the closer, to thereby prevent the opening movement of said valve.

'7. In aweighing-machine, the combination with a valve, and with a bucket having a closer, of a toggle for supporting said closer; stops operative, respectively, with the valve and with the closer, and each constituting a stop device for the other g an actuator normally operative for engaging one of said toggle members, to thereby throw the pivots thereof out of line; and means for throwing said actuator into an inoperative position.

8. In aWeighing-machine, the combination with a bucket having a closer, of a supplychute; avalve for said chute stops operative, respectively, with the valve and with the closer and having said last-mentioned stop iixedly connected With the closer, and each of said stops constituting a stop device for the other; a connecting-rod operativelyconnected with the valve a shiftable member in position for imparting a valve-opening thrust to said connecting-rod; and means for shift- .ing said connecting-rod out of operative relation with said shiftable member.

FRANCIS H. RICHARDS. IVitnesses FRED. J. DOLE, HENRY BIssELL. 

